Description: (From the Applicant's Description) The aim of the Structural Biology and Environmental Chemistry Research Core is to initiate and foster research that focuses on understanding the relation between fundamental, structural features of organic molecules and the behaviors of those molecules in environmental and biological systems. The focus of this Core is to: analyze the behavior of organic molecules in the environment; elucidate the site(s) of modification(s) of macromolecules by environmental chemicals; and develop an understanding of the effects of modifications on biopolymer structure and function. Within these areas, current research efforts involve the relationship between surfactant structure and behavior in sewage-contaminated water; the use of mass spectrometry to determine the site(s) and effects of alkylation of neurofilament protein subunits by gamma-diketoalkanes; analysis and effects of thiol alkylation on protein folding pathways of rhm-CSFbeta; and conformational changes in thioredoxin caused by thiol alkylation; and the use of mass spectrometry and X-ray crystallography to map DNA-protein interactions and cross-linked or metal-complexed nucleic acid structures.